Southern Arizona has its annual migration of sandhill cranes that are attracted to wetlands south of Willcox.
And Tucson's south side has Sunny Daze Cafe, a mom-and-pop restaurant that attracts flamingos - albeit not live ones.
Sunny Daze, 4980 S. Campbell Ave., is home to dozens of the creatures, and customers keep bringing them in to owners Erika and Mark Bilbo.
The couple bought Sunny Daze, with its beach motif, on April Fool's Day 2008. The restaurant occupies a former Pizza Hut in a shopping center on the southwest corner of East Irvington Road and South Campbell Avenue.
"My husband wanted a mascot. He is from Tampa, Florida, and he chose the flamingo," said Erika, grinning as she recalled how the pink bird, normally found near water sources, found a home in a restaurant in the Sonoran Desert.
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It appears diners, who come for hearty all-American, Mexican and Cajun food, understand the idea behind the birds.
"Customers have brought us flamingos from all over, and also have made us flamingo art," said Erika Bilbo, retrieving a flamingo hat from near the cash register. "This was a gift from a customer, and I wear it sometimes. It brings laughs."
Outdoors in front of the restaurant stands a 5-foot-tall pink flamingo cemented into the ground. It was brought from North Carolina by a customer.
Flamingos are painted on the building and one sits on the roof, wearing a Santa hat during the holidays. Indoors, Santa-hat-wearing flamingos dress up the counter and sing holiday jingles. And one belts out "Hot, Hot, Hot" - the party song hit of the 1980s.
Customers also have left flamingo art that Erika Bilbo had framed and displays near the entrance. It includes an intricate ink drawing by a woman, a colorful sketch by a young girl and a miniature quilt of a flamingo at the beach.
Other gifts include a flamingo sporting a Mardi Gras outfit, a flamingo wind chime, a teapot, a windmill and two huge plastic flamingo clothespins used to hang beach towels.
In a corner of the restaurant stand flamingos that Erika brought from her yard - they look quite at home among some artificial plants.
Erika Bilbo has taken two gifts home - a blown-glass flamingo from Hawaii and a set of flamingo pajamas.
In return for all the gifts from customers, the Bilbos give flamingo mementos to new patrons, along with a "Sunny Puff" - a dessert that tastes like a glazed doughnut.
Got an oddity?
Is there something you've noticed while driving through Tucson that has piqued your curiosity? Or is there some piece of Old Pueblo history you've wondered about? Drop us a line, and we'll look into it.
Contact the Star newsroom at oddity@azstarnet.com or 807-7776.
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at 573-4104 or cduarte@azstarnet.com
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